From the Field: Dreams Become Reality

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field” section.

Gegham, a 13-year-old rural youth engaged in Heifer Armenia’s Young Agriculturists Network of Armenia (YANOA) project, dreamed of establishing his own duck farm. He developed a business plan through his local YES! Youth Club and was awarded a $100 seed grant to put his plan into action. His little farm quickly grew and Gegham passed on his seed grant to another youth. He said he does his best to learn about the ducks well-being and how to give proper care.

Thirteen-year- old Gegham started a duck farm using a $100 seed grant from Heifer Armenia. Photo by Anna Arakelyan, Business Education Expert, Development Principles NGO

In Vietnam, one Heifer family is enhancing their impact with promising results. Tran Thi Cuc Huong and her husband, Nguyen Van Lieu, grow coconuts, dragon fruit and morning glory and raise chickens and pigs. They use a biogas system to turn pig manure into methane for cooking and electricity, which also prevents their ponds from being polluted. Huong said their dreams of expanding and helping others only became a reality with hard work, creativity and knowledge from Heifer’s trainings.

For 61 new project families in Gui Xi Village, China, the dream of ending hunger and poverty is taking its first steps. The village’s first Passing on the Gift® (POG) ceremony in April 2013, presented these families with gifts of livestock and welcomed them into a community achieving promising results of improved living conditions, education and health. The new families agreed to Pass on the Gifts and continue to spread unity and love in their community.

Learn how you can help dreams become reality

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Don’t Be a Rat, Unpack!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

Every week we feature a fun and/or educational activity you can try at home or in the classroom. Today is National Pack Rat Day and like pack rats, some of us tend to collect more belongings than we really need. Here at Heifer International we encourage people to practice Sharing and Caring, one of Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development. If you’ve got some things to unpack, here are a few options to lighten your load.

Photo credit: oddlovescompany.com

Hold a Clothing Swap
Donating old clothing is helpful, but a swap can make a more direct impact in your neighborhood or organization. Ask participants to bring a few articles of clothing and then have fun haggling over the trades. A swap can also be done with shoes, toys and books.
Upcycle With Style
Old T-shirts for quilt squares, abandoned toys as planters and plastic grocery bags to make trash cans-Pinterest is filled with DIY instructions. Inventive minds are a powerful tool in caring for the earth. Before you recycle, try to find ways to upcycle the weary and worn things in your cluttered closets.
Give Your Time
If you have a “load” of time on your hands, why not use it to help others organize their abundant belongings? Or, use it in other meaningful ways like taking a meal to new parents, offering to walk your elderly neighbor’s dog or care for the Earth by picking up trash.

Through cooperation and friendship, there are many ways to share and care. Be creative and get involved in your community. Small acts of kindness will spread, building a large network of giving to Pass on the Gift® of hope, unity and friendship.

Learn how you can spend meaningful time at Heifer

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Fair Trade: Beyond the Purchase

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

Purchase fair trade jewelry at Shop@Heifer. Photo by Chelsey McNiel, Communications Intern, Heifer Headquarters

Yesterday, justice lovers worldwide celebrated World Fair Trade Day - an initiative of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) which advocates for farmers and artisans to get fair market prices.

According to WFTO, “a third of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars a day.” But will it really make a difference which products fill our shopping carts?

Heifer International thinks so. When you purchase certified fair trade items, like coffee, bananas and apparel, you can improve the quality of life for developing communities and establish strong businesses.

Supporting organizations like Heifer takes your impact beyond the practice of purchasing fair trade certified essentials. Heifer educates families and communities so they not only recieve a fair price at the market, but also receive tools and training to ensure a shift toward sustainable living.

Shop@Heifer supports Heifer’s mission of ending hunger and poverty and caring for the Earth with earth- and artisan-friendly goods.

Learn how you can go beyond the purchase

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From the Field: Assembled to Celebrate

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field” section.

Heifer International project participants work hard every day to Pass on the Gift® (POG) they once received and transition from recipient to donor. Sharing their success often brings participants joy and a commendable cause to celebrate.

In March and April 2013, Heifer Cambodia self-help groups (SHG) organized seven POG ceremonies. More than 820 families shared gifts of livestock, vegetables, tree seeds and rice with new project families. During one ceremony, POG recipient Chea Sambo responded with gratitude to her donor family, “Words cannot express how happy I am to receive the gifts. I promise to take good care of the animal and improve my garden so that I can pass on to other needy families, and become a donor like your family.Thanks much to your family and to Heifer.”

Heifer Cambodia participants Pass on the Gift® of chickens during an April 2013 ceremony. Photo by Toeng Rothy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Heifer Cambodia.

Armenian YES! Youth Clubs gathered to celebrate the past year’s activities during the 10th Youth Parliament General Assembly, April 26-27, 2013. Thirty clubs shared about their projects, which were mostly focused on civic participation and responsibility, and the success of their small businesses. Vardouhi Torosyan, a 13-year-old jewelry-making business owner, said she was able to pass on her seed money of $100 to another club member so he could also start a business.

Heifer China project participants joyfully celebrate after a POG with a Tibetan Guozhuang (bonfire) dance. Photo by Droma Sangmo, Tibet Regional Project Manager, Heifer China

Heifer China participants prepare to celebrate after a POG ceremony with a Tibetan Guozhuang (bonfire) dance. Photo by Droma Sangmo, Tibet Regional Project Manager, Heifer China

Beneath snowy mountain peaks, farmers in Tibet applauded each other during a wintry April POG. Participants from Dan Nu, Xue Ba and Zhi Ba villages passed on a monetary fund worth about $37,342 to Xu Ba village. Three candidates were distinguished among their community for modeling exceptional behavior and a traditional Tibetan Guozhuang (bonfire) dance ended the celebration.

Learn how you can help Pass on the Gift®

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Felicia: A Mother in Romania

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

Felicia lives in Romania with her husband and nine children. She works tirelessly to provide her family with everything they need to be healthy and happy. Since joining a buffalo project in 2011, the family’s nutrition has improved from the milk and dairy products their buffalo, Florica, provides. Felicia has hope for a bright future for her family.

Greta Grishanova, Director of Programs for Heifer’s Central and Eastern Europe area, shares Felicia’s story.

This Mother’s Day. Gift Different. Give Heifer. Photo courtesy of Heifer International

This Mother’s Day. Gift Different. Give Heifer.

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From the Field: New Beginnings

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field” section.

Heifer International works with families to help direct men and women toward gender equality. As men and women participate in projects together, communities develop a sense of unity and respect. After joining Heifer, project participants not only see major improvements in their income and living conditions, but regain trust and hope in their relationships. Where despair may have seemed overwhelming, new beginnings unfold as friendships produce respect and families are reunited.

Heifer Vietnam project participant Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, 39, with her two daughters. Photo by Nguyen Xuan Quyen, Communication and Networking Officer, Heifer Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, a 39-year-old Heifer Vietnam project participant, is a resilient woman with a painful past. Trang married her first husband when she was 25 years old and quickly found herself in an abusive relationship. After her husband beat her and threw her into a river for buying rice, Trang divorced him and began a new life. She remarried and is grateful to now have a respectful and honest husband. She and her current husband harvest rice and rent out their tractor to earn a living in their village. Trang works hard to make the most of every opportunity and has hope that her two daughters will live a happy life.

Sriman Thapa, a 9-year-old boy from Nepal, was bullied becuase of his parents disabilities. After his mother contributed goats in a POG, the teasing stopped. Photo by Alina Karki, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Temp, Heifer Nepal

Sriman Thapa, 9, was bullied because of his parents’ disabilities. After his mother contributed goats in a POG, the teasing stopped. Photo by Alina Karki, PME Temp, Heifer Nepal

Sriman Thapa, 9, lives in Nepal with his mother and father. He was relentlessly bullied because his parents are “laata,” meaning deaf and mute. The constant teasing established Sriman’s identity with his parent’s disability. When his mother contributed to another family in a Passing on the Gift® (POG) ceremony, the bullying stopped. By caring for her community, Sriman’s mother changed her son’s life and her community’s perspective.

Due to conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Beglaryan family left their Armenian village for several years. They returned home just before the first POG took place. A fellow villager presented the family with a cow, which inspired them to believe in a prosperous future. The Beglaryans want to improve their livelihoods and the economic life of their community. Their belief in this new beginning will help others push forward with hope.

Learn how you can help families find new beginnings worldwide

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From the Field: Sharing the Burden

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field” section.

Granny Siranush and grandson Narek at their home in Chinar, Armenia. Photo by Aram Petrosyan, Program Coordinator, Heifer Armenia

Springtime often evokes thoughts of baby animals, beautiful flowers and warm sunshine. But for the Voskanyan family of Chinar, Armenia, it is the most dangerous season. Cultivating their fields is dangerous work because Azeri snipers may at any moment break the cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Daily routines, like taking their children to school, are also done with fearful hearts. In 2011, the family became Heifer International participants and received a pregnant heifer through Passing on the Gift®. The cow has lightened the family’s burden by providing milk to make butter and sour cream.

Philippine dairy farmers must have passion, patience and perseverance to succeed, because poor nutrition and disease can easily rob farmers of their prized cows. More than 100 potential partner families of Heifer Southern Philippines recently visited successful dairy farms to learn about the industry. These learning opportunities activated participants with the knowledge to become businessmen and women of great potential. They quickly realized that, “There is daily money in milk.”

Heifer Malawi participated in the Presidential Initiative Launch on April 4, 2013. Photo courtesy of Heifer Malawi

Heifer continually works with partners to mobilize projects that will positively impact participants like the Voskanyan family and smallholder farmers. On April 4, 2013, Heifer Malawi showcased Heifer’s work in the Dairy Value Chain Project at the Presidential Initiative Launch in Africa. The event launched two projects, Two Crops per Year and One Cow per Family, which aim to strengthen irrigation and engage farmers in dairy production. Heifer Malawi Country Director Petronella Halwiindi said it was an excellent opportunity to share Heifer’s role and represent all its major players.

Learn how you can impact families worldwide

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Heifer and the ‘Chocolate Forest’

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

The production and marketing process for Bolivian chocolate. Photos courtesy of Heifer International

Heifer is working with communities in the Bolivian Amazon to harvest cacao for the production and marketing of chocolate, while preserving the health of the forest. By adding sheep, poultry and fish to their regular cacao activities, these families have alternate sources of income and nutrition. In this video, World Ark Senior Editor Austin Bailey and Heifer Americas Program Assistant Jason Woods share about their recent trip to Bolivia’s “Chocolate Forest.”

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From the Field: Education Multiplies Hope

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field” section.

Heifer International’s Training and Education Cornerstone is the first stop on every participant’s journey to Passing on the Gift®. Education makes the achievement of self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods possible and gives project participants the tools to multiply justice and hope worldwide.

The Port Loko district of Sierra Leone suffers from seasonal bush fires, which consume fruit trees, cause water shortages and reduce crop yields. Heifer International is working with Kids Arise, a local non-governmental drama organization, to educate communities on the dangers of bush fires and preventative measures. Through drama and song, Kids Arise has helped decrease deforestation.

Kids Arise, a drama group from Sierra Leone, educates communities about deforestation and preventative measures. Photo by Valesius Koker

Renuka Begum, a 40-year-old wife and mother, did not receive a childhood education due to extreme poverty. After participating in trainings on Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development, gender and justice and improved animal management, she began applying her education to improve her family’s livelihood. Her daughter’s education is now secure and Renuka is diligent in sharing, caring and participating in self-help group (SHG) activities.

Giving out recipes with her haricot bean sales gave Shushan’s business an innovative approach. Photo by Anna Arakelyan

Sixteen-year-old Shushan Khachatryan of Armenia presented a business plan and received a $100 grant to start her business through Heifer Armenia’s Young Agriculturists Network of Armenia (YANOA) project. She selected a business plan by applying what she had learned through YANOA, which increased her haricot bean sales. “When I was developing my business plan I took into account many details,” Shushan said. “Yet, in my simple business idea I invested an innovative approach. I decided to provide recipes of dishes prepared from haricots to all the customers who would buy haricots from me.”

Learn how you can multiply justice and hope worldwide

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Because They Are There, So Is Heifer

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Donna Stokes

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

CHULIDANDA, Nepal—We (Puja Singh of Heifer Nepal staff, photographer Geoff Oliver Bugbee and Donna Stokes of World Ark) started out the day in Surkhet, Nepal at 6:30 a.m., imagining the headlines that might result from today’s task. It was an uphill climb of nearly 5,000 feet, on steep and arguably treacherous footpaths Nepalis take daily, to one of the most remote soon-to-be Heifer goat projects in the forest near Surkhet in the western region of Nepal.

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

“World Ark team meets tiger” was our frontrunner imagined headline, as Heifer Nepal staff in this region reported seeing wild tigers not that long ago. Yet as we began to climb what Puja lovingly dubbed “goat mountain,” a different theme emerged.

In Nepal in mid-April, scores of expeditions are arriving in Kathmandu to begin their Mount Everest summit attempts during the short season, many for no other reason than the infamous one—”because it is there.” But our group of Heifer Nepal and headquarters staff was climbing because “they were there,” they being the women and men in need who live at the top and will soon begin training for Heifer’s goat value-chain project.

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

The first lesson: Goat mountain was very nearly more than this treadmill- and Zumba-trained American could handle. In the more than three hours it took us to climb up to talk with the villagers (not to mention the two hours back down at the end of the day), the women here would have made the whole round trip to fetch water. And they do it twice a day, in the morning starting at 4:30 using flashlights to see the rocky path, and also every evening to haul water for their animals and families.

Stay tuned for a full story on this village’s challenges and plans in a future issue of World Ark magazine.

Heifer Nepal’s Puja Singh negotiates the narrow path on the way to Chulidanda, Nepal. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

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Heifer Blog

The official blog of Heifer International

Category Archives: Cornerstones

Fair Trade: Beyond the Purchase

From the Field: Assembled to Celebrate

Felicia: A Mother in Romania

From the Field: New Beginnings

From the Field: Sharing the Burden

Heifer and the ‘Chocolate Forest’

From the Field: Education Multiplies Hope

Because They Are There, So Is Heifer